Beware uppity Californian juveniles at Royal Ascot

Each year the overseas challenge at Royal Ascot seems to get stronger, and next week it will be fascinating to see how the five two-year-olds shipped over from California by the trainer Wesley Ward perform. None is proven on turf, but since the track at Ascot was relaid horses coming off artificial surfaces have done pretty well.

Ward, who has his team based in Newmarket for the Ascot raid, seems to be particularly keen on the filly Aegean, who runs in the Albany Stakes tomorrow week. He also has runners in the Coventry Stakes and the Queen Mary Stakes on the first two days of the meeting, so we should get a clue to the strength of the American juveniles.

Jealous Again, who ran second to Aegean at Keeneland, is the Queen Mary runner and I gather she impressed work-watchers when the Ward horses were put through their paces in Newmarket yesterday morning.

It is clear, however, that there are some above-average two-year-olds from Britain and Ireland ready to spring to the home defence. In the Coventry, Richard Hannon's Canford Cliffs sets a high standard. He looked an exceptional talent when scoring by seven lengths on his only start at Newbury, clocking an outstanding time in the process.

Then there is Rose Blossom in the Queen Mary. Highclere Thoroughbreds recently bought into this Richard Fahey-trained filly, who won by 4½ lengths on her debut at Hamilton, breaking a course record for five furlongs that had stood since 1972. Described as a "freak" by her trainer, she has more than a hint of the 2003 Queen Mary winner, Attraction, about her.

Ward also plans to run the four-year-old Cannonball in both the King's Stand Stakes and the Golden Jubilee. The gelding is virtually ignored in ante-post betting, at 50-1, but history tells us not to ignore foreign sprinters. The American-trained Mighty Beau was not beaten far when fifth in the King's Stand four years ago.

In fact this Group One contest has only once been won by a home-trained sprinter in the last six years, and that was the seven-year-old The Tatling in 2004. Australia's Choisir was overlooked by British punters in 2003, winning at odds of 25-1 before following up in the Golden Jubilee four days later.

After the exploits of Takeover Target and Miss Andretti, the King's Stand winners in 2006 and 2007, no one underestimates the Australian challenge now and next Tuesday Daniel Morton's Scenic Blast is 7-2 second favourite with Hill's. A dual Group One winner at home this year, the five-year-old looks a tough opponent for Henry Candy's 3-1 favourite, Amour Propre.

Scenic Blast will very likely reappear in the Golden Jubilee on the Saturday of Ascot, when South Africa's JJ The Jet Plane and Sacred Kingdom, the pride of Hong Kong, lie in wait. The form lines from Sacred Kingdom's Group One win in Singapore last month suggest he can repay the £45,000 it has cost connections to get into the Golden Jubilee. He is a tempting 6-1 with Coral.

For the notebook

Agente Parmigiano 7f Epsom

Like so many on this switchback track, Gerard Butler's colt looked ill at ease on the camber in the home straight and, after a slow start, was left with plenty to do. He did well to reach fifth behind Cloudy Start and will be seen to better effect on a more conventional course.

War Party 1m4f Epsom

Another who did not seem to handle the track, this French import still stuck on to finish fifth behind Coin Of The Realm after racing close to the pace. He hails from a predominantly jumps stable, but should win a Flat handicap off his current mark before long.